It was the 16th of the ninth month in the Church's Calendar. The sky was clear, seemingly stretching out through thousands of miles, and the morning breeze was absolutely relaxing. While there had been a drizzle the night before, the surface of the road had dried up completely when the morning had come. Nevertheless, traces of autumn still lingered in the air.
At seven o'clock sharp, the thick gates of the Hamilton Palace were opened. His Grand Eminence the Pope Radriere VI, who resided within in, gradually moved out of the palace along with this massive troop of Guards of Honor. These Guards of Honor had rendezvoused with the Cavalry Guards at the town square in front of the palace and gone on their way, accompanied by the band's orchestra performance and the choir's singing.
The commander-in-chief of the cavalries was a tall and handsome paladin, donned in the special ancient armor of the Narcissus Knights. He leaped down from the back of the horse and kneeled down at the highest Servant of God of the secular world who was hidden in the carriage. His Grand Eminence the Pope's lips seemed to have moved a little. The old man, who was gravely ill, no longer had any voice and required support from the priests of the inner court wherever he went.
"His Majesty means that we can now depart…"
The Martial Arts Division Commander of the Narcissus Knights' Red Tiger Cavalry Corp, Major General Kamille Rayen, then stood up. He presented his military salute toward His Grand Eminence the Pope and then got on the horse.
The God-chosen warriors lined up in rows, each with a thousand men. Their armors shone with dazzling colors under the illumination of sunlight, the image of the Narcissus symbol on the shields and helmets glimmered with life beneath the sunlight, while the Brave Tiger Flag of Narcissus waved along with the morning breeze. There was no one better suited than the God-chosen warriors to act as the Guards of Honor of the highest Servant of God.
Along with the crisp shouts of their superior, the first row of the troop began advancing, followed by the entire formation.
The pope's colorful and dazzling Guards of Honor traversed out of the Road of Kings gradually. They had first circled the Tower of Heroes for a round. After that, they had run in the direction of the South, passing by Titan's Gate of Light.
Suddenly, a loud noise sounded from out of the Titan's Gate of Light. The Dulin citizens and the civilians had come all the way from different areas of the Titan to spectate the worshipping cheered at the pope! The volume was comparable to the sea, and the civilians who had kowtowed one after another were like the waves. On the other hand, the golden ribbons hanging on the buildings on each side of the street and the colorful papers flying about were just like the gulls flying above the surface of the sea. At this moment, the inner court priests of the Holy City of Rome had finally opened the hood of the open carriage. This single act seemed to have invoked a strong force. Instantly, the falling ribbons, flowers, and colorful papers had stopped flying about, and the joyful people who had been cheering had also halted their bustles.
The entire Victory Square was ridiculously silent. Every single person had knelt on the floor and prayed in silence at His Grand Eminence the Pope, whose face had appeared. The murmurs of countless pairs of lips had formed a dull and buzzing echo in the air above the town square.
It was half-past seven, and the sunlight was intense. Starting with the huge clock of Dulin Scott Cathedral, the clocks of each church and monastery of the Titan's capital started sounding. The ringing of the clocks was announcing the arrival of the highest Servant of God. The Dulin citizens responded to the sounds and moved accordingly, while the soldiers of the Guards stationed at each of the street entrances considered the sounds as the signal to remove the barriers, allowing the humongous crowd to move once more.
The number of people gathering at the entrances had increased. Just when the Guards of Honor were about to pass by an entrance, there would always be a knight who would arrive at the spot earlier than the rest of the troop. He lightly waved the yellow command flag in his hand, and the gathering of people on the streets immediately kneeled on the ground.
The majestic carriage of His Grand Eminence the Pope traversed past the crowd like a small boat. The highest, elderly Servant of God lifted his head, brought together his skinny, pale palms and sustained his worshipping posture at God. How much further would this journey take? Radirere VI was not sure either. His mission in the human realm was about to be accomplished, and the God he had been serving was summoning him to the heavens. Just treat the crowning ceremony of the Titan's Empress as the final mass! The pope thought so.
The Guards of Honor had finally reached the Dulin Scott Cathedral. The worshipping spot of the Titan royalties appeared to be brand new. While the old outer wall of the cathedral still looked as worn, the sky-blue flag loved by the Morisette royalties had blocked the view of the cathedral. As a result, the people outside could no longer have a clear look at the cathedral's appearance.
In front of the waving blue flag, there was the troop of flag-bearers of the Guards. Every single soldier was lifting a Golden Lion Flag which differed from each other in designs. The leading flag-bearer was the newly-appointed Commander of the Home Base Capital. Looking at his armored body from the outside, his facial features were not visible, save for a pair of firm and unwavering eyes.
The Commander of the Home Base Capital lifted the Golden Lion Flag of Alanis I Her Majesty. According to the dynasty's traditions, the new royal flag which had just made its appearance was slightly different from any other flag of Titan's ruler in the history. For the previous generation, Alfa III His Majesty's flag had a sword on the left and a shield on the right, a flying creature at the top and a land animal at the bottom, while the golden lion was at the center with its head facing left; as for this generation, the flag of Alanis I Her Majesty was a shield on the left, a sword on the right, a mermaid amidst the waves of paddies at the top, flower vines surrounded by narcissuses at the bottom, and the golden lion at the center, with the masculine furs now added with a touch of a female's warmth. There were thirty-nine gun firings for the salute, symbolizing the welcoming of the highest Servant of God's arrival by the thirty-nine Emperors of two dynasties which ruled Titan Empire. Smoke flowed from Dulin Scott Cathedral and the weapons and armors of the soldiers were occasionally visible amidst the bright white smoke. The Sergeant Major gave his command only after the shivering His Grand Eminence the Pope had been helped out of the carriage by the inner court's priests.
The soldiers of the Guards on each side of the carpet of white goat fur immediately drew the weapons tugged at their waist. They fixed the shining metal shields in front of their chests and raised their swords toward the sky.
"Salute!"
The soldiers of the Guards lifted the steel swords upward, and the hilts were instantly pressed close to their faces.
The colors exploding from the countless longswords had dizzied the Grand Eminence the Pope with dark, sunken eyes. The old man instantly lowered his head and inched toward the gates like a surrendered slave. In the process, he had also let out several moans, as if he was dying.
The doors to the church had opened, and the divine radiation from the candle lights and the newly-made God statue leaked out from within explosively. These colors reflected onto the old face of His Grand Eminence the Pope. The elderly man seemed to have obtained some energy from this and inched upward step by step. Just when his entire body had been showered in those colors, a miracle seemed to have occurred. The sickly old man actually straightened his chest, while his bones and muscles seemed to have instantly expanded.
The Dulin's bells have yet to cease ringing. According to the traditions, His Grand Eminence the Pope would have to arrive at the church earlier than the Emperor to set up the mass. On the other hand, the to-be-crowned Emperor would be worshipped by the privileged classes and all civil and military officers at Hamilton Palace, this being a symbol of the royal powers of the Emperor. Moreover, he would have to take over the Emperor's royal scepter and crown, as well as to accept the proper inheritance of the powers and glories.
Unlike the boisterous surrounding outside, it was utterly silent in the inner halls of Hamilton Palace. Right here, there were only some close ministers of the royalties and the guards of the palace who were guarding a large living room bantering in secrecy. There was a nanmu door with two hues in the direction where the living room was leading to the main walkway. In the two directions in the living room, there were each two corner doors leading to the side hall.
The people looked around at the two corner doors while chatting with each other with soft volumes. At that moment, the corner door on the right side opened all of a sudden. Next, His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette, who was donned in formal armors, walked out in big steps. The young Marshal of the Guards had marched a lap around the people there, who seemingly just stood there in a daze.
"Look at me! How am I?" The Prince spread his hands so that the people there could "appreciate" this view of him better.
The Empress' husband wore red huge, red goose feathers, and his inner wear was the Guards' royal blue Marshal military uniform matched with golden buttons. A sparkling cross-shaped button carved with the insignia of the Fierce Tigers of Narcissus was pinned to the collar of the uniform. Then, it would be the left chest of his military top. The Empire Warrior Medal and Honorary Knight Medal had been worn in a row, followed by the golden ribbon hanging from the right shoulder to the left waist. The ribbon was fastened around his waist, with a Marshal Sword shining with a dazzling color of gem hanging on the ribbon…
"How is this? Hey, say something!" Oscar was a little displeased. He stared at his own attire. Could it be that he had made some mistakes somewhere? Leather boots with agate buttons, black military pants sewn with golden linings, diamond collar buttons on the dress shirt… nothing seemed to be out of place. Again, he subconsciously touched the triangular military cap and the silver-white insignia of the Narcissus Knights on the cap on his head, everything seemed fine as well.
"What on earth do you want? My temper is flaring!"
"Whose temper is flaring?"
Princess Alanis I, with the surname of Alfa of the Morisette ruling, walked out from the door. Plastering a warm smile, she held her husband with her pair of arms which were donned in a laced attire.
"Are they all mute?" Oscar pecked softly on his wife's cheek. To be frank, he wanted to tell his wife that life was truly amazing! Who would have thought that the little princess, who had been frightened by him to the point of peeing in public years ago, would become the empire's Empress today?
"Oh… let me have a look at you!" Alanis gazed at her husband in a rush. All of a sudden, she squatted down. While Oscar's eyes widened, she felt his wife pulling on his pants at the same time.
The royalties and soldiers around them demonstrated despicable expressions that they were trying really hard to control their laughter. Oscar blushed. He stared at his wife, panicked. Rather, to be more precise, he was staring at how the Titan's Empress was fastening the buttons on his pants one by one. It seemed that he had shown himself with an unzipped fly.
"Oh… I can only say…" Oscar helped his wife up. "I've been so busy that I've made a mistake!"
Alanis giggled at her husband, "Alright! Now it's your turn!"
The Prince immediately pushed his wife slightly away from him and proceeded to look at her intensely, leaving out no details.
His wife was donned in a yellow silk scarf, while her golden hair had been tied up in a complicated, royal fashion with scattered diamonds connected together in a silver string. The earrings, necklace, bracelet and diamond ring; this set of jewelry were considered to be precious goods that had just been brought in by a Southern businessman. Alanis had been completely marveled by the 457 diamonds. Not only were these the most expensive jewelry in the world, but it also symbolized Morisette Dynasty's ruling of Titan Empire for 457 years.
Through the opening of the yellow cape, Oscar noticed a part of the snow-white flesh of his wife's chest. He loved this spot, but this spot was currently being tightly concealed by a piece of white laced chest binder. With no other option, Oscar could only direct his gaze downward. His wife's waist was still as slim, and he was certain that her thighs, which were being covered by a broad garnet skirt with countless embroideries of flowers, were still as firm as the previous night.
"Oh damn…" Oscar moaned. The most primal instincts of a man had actually been aroused within him after looking at Her Majesty the Empress who was all dressed up. It seemed that their romantic affairs the previous night had been rushed, and it was not as agitating as they expected it to be.
The Empress giggled. She pulled her cloak to the front, and the servants, who had been on standby behind the door, immediately rushed out. They each pulled out a lace dress which was almost as long as ten meters. Countless embroideries of little lions had been sewn onto the huge dresses.
"Actually… I still prefer you not wearing any clothes!" Oscar mumbled with a low voice by his wife's ear. As a result, he was responded with the Empress' wink and a huge blow of her fist.
The newly appointed Court Chief Marquis Jevonah Wesarcia and his wife Lady Cameron stepped forward together. The Marquis led his wife and kneeled on the ground on one knee. They first kissed the back of the Empress' palm and then kissed the Empress' husband with equal devotion.
Oscar seemed to not be moved even the slightest by the beauty of Marquise Cameron Wesarcia and had only touched spouses' shoulders like how the Empress did with the Marshal Sword. According to the investigations of the Military Intelligence Bureau, it had been shown that Marquis Wesarcia's spousal activities in Engels had been receiving support from the Head of Secret Service. Oscar had communicated with Count Rudolf Hoss through letters and had received news that the Head of Secret Service had been able to prove that the two had no suspicious traces. However, Oscar still reserved some opinions of his regarding this perspective, as he believed that the fewer suspicious trails there were, the more suspicious there could be, in fact.
"Your Majesty…" The Marquis spouses stood up, and the Palace chief flipped open the ceremony's schedule book. "You're late! But only for one minute!"
Alanis looked behind her. The servants had already fixed the massive dresses around her waist.
"Inform the palace, I'm coming!"
"Alright…" the Palace Chief led his wife and retreated with courtesy.
A huge door with numerous golden flower carvings opened in the hallway of Hamilton Palace, leading all the way to the palace's main living room. The government officers who had been waiting to meet the Empress immediately retracted their joyful facial expressions and replaced them with a sincere demeanor. Segregated by their divisions and ranks, they stood on both left and right sides of the main hall. Nevertheless, the several hundred officers had still crowded the place to the extent that it was so hard to move around. With no other options available, some royalties who were lower in ranks had been brought out to the palace gate by the servants of the Guards in a polite tone. Even though the nobles were ranting here and there, they did not dare to offend the Empress' dignity during this moment.
O'Neil Andrew Morisette brought Alanis I Her Majesty with him and slowly walked past the layers of gates. The people who had been waiting for a long time at each side of the gates all kneeled down, and said softly, "All hail Her Majesty the Empress!" Alanis then reciprocated with a reserved yet friendly gaze.
Finally, the Empress had reached the royal seat at the main hall. Along with the capital officers' cheers of 'hails', she proceeded to sit on the throne made of gold. After that, it would be her husband's turn. O'Neil was seated to the Empress' left, but his throne was positioned slightly away from the center axis of the main hall. Thus, the spot of his throne could only be considered as at the side.
Similarly being appointed not too long ago, Titan Empire's new Spokesman of the House of Lords, Duke Modia Sirte stepped out from the crowd with an extremely stern expression. He had presented Titan Empire's Supreme Governor Her Highness Princes Alanis Alfa Morisette with a public letter which had been signed by all members of the House of Lords.
"To the most respected Her Highness the Princess, concurrently the Supreme Governor, the Titan civilians have been completely awakened in the face of the royal crisis and the impending attacks of the international oppositions - any conspiracies intending to offend Her Highness the Princess will be conspiracies intending to offend Titan's national structures. Other than that, anyone doubting Her Highness the Princess' orthodoxies and the authorities of the Crown Princess will be seen as enemies who are planning to overturn our country's politics!"
"Before the melodies of the mass of has sounded from Dulin Scott Cathedral, resuming my country's traditions, I hereby represent all members of the empire's House of Lords as well as the royalties from all societal ranks praying for peace and harmony, to request for our most respected Her Highness Princess Alanis Alfa Morisette to accept the inheritance of Titan's imperial system, and effectively sit as the hereditary Emperor of Titan Empire! Bestowing us a great brand new era, just as how the God of Light is protecting the tens of thousands of civilians and the majestic four-hundred-kilometer-square rivers and mountains of the holy Titan!"
"I accept!" Alanis raised her head fiercely, and a ball of dazzling divine light exploded from her eyes. Oscar glanced at his arm which had been grasped tight by his wife. He felt that his wife was so elated to the extent that her entire being was shivering.
Only after this moment had the empire's Empress truly become a ruler. A servant carrying a golden scepter and another holding the crown of Alfa III walked up the steps in front of the throne one after another.
Just as rehearsed, Oscar stood up first. Duke Modia Sirte, the Spokesman of the House of Lords had also cleared his throat, "The empire's Crown Princess who is about to be named as Alanis I Her Highness with the surname of Alfa, please rise to swear your oath!"
After hearing that, Alanis instantly stood up. Her husband had also taken the crown of Emperor Alfa III from the golden tray held by the servant.
Looking at the crown which Oscar had lifted high up in the air, Alanis was extremely agitated. Not knowing what she should do with her hands and feet, Alanis stood there, calculating the time which she hoped it would pass soon. The sparkling golden crown in front of her had accompanied her father throughout his entire life. Now, she would be inheriting it. Once she had worn it - it would mean that she had officially taken over the ruling of Titan Empire according to the traditions, and would have become the high and mighty Empress of the holy Titan.
Oscar had not let his wife waited for long, and placed the crown on his wife's head.
At this moment, we could really address Alanis as Her Majesty the Empress. Our Majesty the Empress clenched her fists, immersed in the sensations of the sparkling golden light on her head, experiencing the unexplained pressure and weight of the crown.
"With the shaper of the universe, the great God of Light above us, Empress Alanis I of the holy Titan Empire hereby vow that... I'll take the improvement of the country's welfare as my source of happiness. I'll contribute to the glories of Titan royalties and the harmony of the lives of Titan civilians until the end of my life!"
Once the Empress had finished her words, the hundreds of officers present instantly roared with deafening cheers according to the traditions of the ceremony.
"With the most courteous etiquettes and the firmest convictions and loyalty, we'll obey the actions of Her Majesty Empress Alanis and trust in her vows till the end of our days!"
After the loud echoes in the palace had subsided, Oscar took the golden scepter from the other servant's tray. Then, he proceeded to pass the symbol of an Emperor into the hands of his wife.
Alanis vowed again, "I will rule over the empire with this scepter I'm holding, it's my responsibility to treat my people well, rule the country with diligence and love my citizens! Under the land of Titan, with the God of Light as the witness, I shall consider the monarch and all the citizens as my number one priority!"
Cheers immediately erupted among the royalties and colleagues!
"With my most genuine spirits, the sharpest blade, and along with the Titan royalties' glories and loyalty, I will take on the royal system established by Her Majesty the Empress, and preserve my duties as Her Majesty the Empress till the end of my days!"
"All hail the empire! All hail Titan!" Alanis raised the golden scepter. Her voice had lost its usual clarity due to her nervousness and agitation, while her face and chest were covered with an alluring layer of fade red color due to blood circulation.
"All hail Her Majesty the Empress!" Your glories will be passed on for another thousand years along with the royal systems of the empire - to eternity!" the crisp shouts passed through the entire interior of the palace as if it was echoing throughout the heaven and the earth.
It was the 800th year of the Church's Calendar, on the sixteenth day of the ninth month at ten in the morning. Right at this time on the day before, the Western Army Group of the Guards had gotten their ultimate confirmation. The Anti-Titan Alliance had completely retreated from the actual control areas of the Titan, which signified that the Titan people had finally accomplished their historical mission of driving the enemies out of the nation's borders for the great Alanis I Her Majesty.
Her Majesty the Empress and her Marshal husband marched on the Road of Kings. Right after this, earth-shaking cheers erupted from the ten thousand soldiers of the Guards on the battlefield.
At the first row of the soldiers' formation, led by Titan's armed forces' Supreme Commander, Marshal Vann Hewitt Alan and the Guards' Chief of Staff, Marshal Robin Sparse, the military officers of the Guards in various military uniforms stood straight and saluted simultaneously. Marshals Alan and Sparse stepped out from the formation, and Marshal Alan handed the military flag of the Guards to the Empress. Alanis received the flag symbolically, and then handed over the flag and sword, which signified the soldier's loyalty, to the servants beside her.
"Your Majesty, please review this!"
Along with the cheers of Marshal Alan, the military officers of each rank at the front of the formation roared in unison, "Your Majesty, please review this!"
Alanis nodded in understanding and walked forward along the soldiers' formation. Led by the first officer at the first row, the entire troop of Guards all kneeled on a single knee when Her Majesty the Empress had passed by them. Just like the falling paddies after harvesting, the people in front of the Empress fell plopped down one after another until the empty Road of Kings had fallen silent. Just then, only the footsteps of the young Empress were audible.
Below the Tower of Heroes at the end of the Road of Kings, a row of hundred people had blocked the path of Her Majesty the Empress. Right when the soldiers kneeled before the Empress, several thousand white pigeons were being released behind the Tower of Heroes.
"You have won peace for the empire! All hail the Guards!" amid the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, Alanis drew the Command Sword.
"All for our country!" the soldiers kneeling on the ground shouted in unison. "All for the honor of the Empress! Guards! Go forth! Go forth! Go forth!"
The cheers seemed to have died down only after a quarter of an hour. Marshal Alan signaled at the soldiers of unequal ranks in front of the Empress, "Your Majesty, please present the medals to the heroes of the defending war!"
A Paladin holding a golden tray in his hands instantly stood next to the Empress. From the numerous Empire Warrior Medals on the tray, which signified the greatest honor for a soldier, Alanis took one of the medals and turned toward the old soldier who was at the front of the row of heroes.
"General Bencil Donnis, Commander of Military District Twelve. I can't express any words of gratitude or blessing, because any language in the world will be inadequate to describe the courage and spirits of how you and the warriors of Military District Twelve had thrown yourselves to the brink of death for the empire and had fought valiantly until the very end!"
Bencil Donnis gave a salute to Her Majesty the Empress with his best posture. The lips of the old General shivered, but he had not said a thing for half of the day. He could only sustain his stern and straight military posture as if he was a statue.
"Captain Panitigol Asgan, the Paladin reserve who had looked at death in the eye in the battle of Caven Fort!" Alanis turned toward a young military officer while she spoke. "This piece of Paladin Medal has come a bit late, you've proved your loyalty toward the empire with your own actions. A mere Warrior Medal can't possibly praise all your accomplishments and contributions. Congratulations, Lieutenant Colonel Panitigol Asgan, you're now a Cavalry Division Commander of the empire's Military District Twelve. I hope you can continue to spread your beliefs on your new position!"
Panitigol Asgan had also presented his military salute at the Empress. He still had much hope for the future, so he was not as silent as General Panitigol Asgan.
"Your Majesty the Empress! With my blood as a Paladin, I swear to you and the faraway Gods! Shall the enemies show themselves in front of me again, you'll see me launching my strikes at my new battle position!"
Alanis nodded in satisfaction and turned to the next war hero.
"Mister… Toslak! How should I describe you?" With a menacing gaze, Titan Empire's noblest Her Majesty the Empress glanced at the forest hunter, whose entire body was shivering and whose eyeballs are spinning frantically.
The unfortunate Toslak was ranting internally. He knew that his face was now plastered with a lump of sticky and stinking bird poop. It had all been those pigeon's fault. He swore to never hurt any land creatures anymore from today onward, and he would only focus on dealing with flying creatures, especially pigeons.
"Her Majesty the Empress is asking you!" Prince O'Neil reminded the funny-looking hunter.
"I…I'll kill all those pigeons for you, just like how I'll slaughter those Western bastards!"
Everyone had broken into a sweat for the hunter. On the contrary, Alanis was not that bothered and she was even laughing hard. Nevertheless, Her Majesty the Empress had recovered her stern demeanor after a moment's laughing. She had actually picked up her skirt, but the tailor who had sewn her skirt had never expected that Her Majesty the Empress would want to tear this masterpiece into pieces. The skirt was just too firmly sewn, and Alanis could not tear it apart despite her best efforts.
The Empress had no other option. In the end, she could only give up. Why not just… Alanis completely unbuttoned the skirt around her waist and wiped away the dirt stains from the hero's face with a corner of her skirt.
Throughout this entire process, no one dared to interfere with the Empress' actions. In other words, all the soldiers had been deeply moved by Her Majesty the Empress' movements, which were as elegant as water.
"Thank you for everything that you've done for the empire! I now grant you the Empire Warrior Medal and this dress. Go home, and catch pigeons for me. I bet this dress can capture quite a lot of pigeons!" With red eyes, Toslak took the dress stained with bird manure and kissed hard, "All hail the empire! All hail Her Majesty the Empress!" these were the only words he knew of saying. As an ordinary hunter, albeit a hunter who had to lower his head even when meeting the government's postmen, he only knew how to say those words when in the presence of the empire's Empress.
Thus… Alanis turned to the next person.
Finally, the hundreds of battle heroes in front were all wearing the medal of the highest honor which had been handed out by the Empress herself. Upon the command of the Commander, the heroes turned to their left in unison and started walking. However, a funny scene appeared again. The misfortune of the unlucky hunter had yet to end, and he was tripped by the dress gifted to him by the Empress. Alanis, who took in every detail of the scene, still could not control herself from laughing aloud. However, when the troops of soldiers and officers had cleared the space in front of the Tower of Heroes, Alanis's giggles had died down instantly.
What did the Empress see? She saw rows of coffins, albeit coffins with royal flags decorated with flower wreaths.
"Your Majesty! Please mourn and pray for the deceased warriors!" Marshal Alan gestured at the coffins.
A priest had placed a bedding under the Princess' knees. Then, the choir and the Titan archbishop' mass had sounded in unison. Alanis kneeled on the bedding, and all the soldiers of the Guards there had also kneeled down. They brought their hands together and prayed aloud at the heroes' souls in heaven and the faraway God.
"Oh, the souls in the heavens! The people in this world will remember your life events… remember your faces and voices… and when the shaper of the universe grants his divine order, you shall achieve an eternal life…"
Perhaps they had been ordered by the Court Chief, the mass ceremony of Titan's archbishop had ended very fast. Oscar helped his wife up from the ground, and said softly, "The cathedral over there is rushing us, we're already late for a quarter of an hour based on the initial schedule!"
Oscar pulled his wife over impatiently, "I still know one more fellow with the name of Karlchette! But you won't want to know him!"
The Empress looked at the open carriage which was making its way to the bottom of the tower, "Don't we have any transportation faster than that? We still have to greet the civilians on our way, and I definitely don't want to miss the time of crowning!"
Oscar stifled a laugh. He whistled hard with two of his fingers which caused the people to stare around at all four directions, "Over there!" A soldier with sharp vision suddenly pointed at the direction of Hamilton Palace. A beast with a black body and fire-red hooves galloped over like a lightning. Oscar let out a cheer, dismissed his Empress, and rushed over to his little Oslu. When it had gotten near to his master, it did not lower its speed. It knew that its master was perfectly capable of it, and this was the chemistry between it and its master.
While he was running, Oscar fixed his gaze on the rein and grasped it in the very instant the huge horse and his body brushed against each other. With a leap utilizing the momentum of one of the legs of the Imperial Prince, his magnificent war achievements had seemingly appeared on the back of the horse amidst the cheers of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Unaware that the black beast was closing in toward her, the Empress clapped hard for her husband.
The screams of Her Majesty the Empress were simply pleasant to the ears. Alanis felt a strong arm holding on to her while she was flying! The wind blew on her golden hair and blew on her garnet skirt. There was no difference between the current scene and the Empress' teenage dreams. Her hero, her lover, riding on a towering horse and taking her on the run toward the heavens!
"All hail! All hail…" the soldiers of the Guards were chuckling, they were jumping around! Indeed, their Marshal O'Neil was the youngest and most courageous Marshal in the entire history of Titan, while Her Majesty the Empress was no doubt the most beautiful and passionate ruler within all of Titan's history!
Alanis had yet to understand how she had been brought up to the back of the horse, and neither did she know how she had been pulled into the man's embrace. All that she could see was time and space spinning at a top speed, and all that she could feel were the joys of her heart, warmth, and happiness brought upon by love.
The Guards on the street were pushing against the crowd of civilians with their shields. However, what the soldiers were waiting for was not the Empress' ceremonial instrument, but the arrival of a beast instead. A humongous black silhouette advanced with four burning wheels, carrying along a swipe of yellow-colored beauty and a bunch of sky-blue hues.
"All hail Her Majesty!" A soldier who had gotten a clear picture of the Empress' silhouette first shouted. When the civilians shocked by the overwhelming scene had recovered from their stance, they had already lost sight of the beast's trace. The people had broken through the resistance of the Guards, rushed up to the streets, and continued their insane pursuits and shouts, "All hail! All hail! All hail Alanis I Her Majesty!" The entire Dulin City was cheering in a manner similar to the sea where the waves of cheers were increasingly overwhelming one after another. The passionate citizens threw flowers, colorful ribbons, and even their own children into the air On the other hand. Some were screaming, some were weeping, while others were praying in devotion. The Titan people had expressed the emotions within their heart using countless methods. These were their emotions toward their races, feelings toward their country, and the purest sentiments toward that ruler whom all of these were being directed to!
Alanis's hair had become messy, the cloak had been blown open, and the makeup under her eyes had been smeared by her tears. In her lover's embrace on the speeding horse, she said to her husband, "Tell me… this isn't real, this isn't real! This is just a dream! Only a dream!"
Oscar smiled, and the smile was genuine and helpless at the same time. It was at this moment that he had only really understood how much his wife cared about the crown.
The prince did not answer the Empress' questions. Instead, he only hugged his wife even tighter, not bothered by the fact that his wife's joyful tears were soaking his chest.
"If I've awakened from the dream! Alanis will still be that same old Alanis! Promise me, Oscar! Kill me when that time comes! Don't ever let me wake up from the dream!"
Oscar got closer to his wife's ear, "Alanis, this isn't a dream! Plus, even if turns out everything is just a dream at the end, you're still my Alanis, I swear! Nobody can hurt you! Not even me!"
The horse stood up on its hind limbs like a human being suddenly; it had arrived at its destination.
The soldiers of the Guards kneeled down on one knee on each side of the carpet. The Titan royalties and the big figures who had come from all over the countries to spectate the ceremony were cheering for the Titan's Empress, and there were the people… the lovely Titan civilians, they had occupied every single road leading to the church, waving the national flag which they had made in a rush. With the greatest volume their throats and mouth could muster, they sang the national anthem "Celebrations of the Royal Reclamation of Emmonson and Dobb" aloud. The Titan people sang like this,
My Emperor has reclaimed Emmonson and Dobb. This is something worthy of a celebration. There's my bride in Emmonson, and my lover in Dobb celebrating my Emperor's reclamation of Emmonson and Dobb. My bride has sewn new clothes for the warriors returning with their victory to celebrate the reclamation of Emmonson and Dobb, while my lover has constructed a new wall for the lands destroyed by the enemies. Oh Emmonson, my bride, and Dobb, my lover. My Emperor has welcomed my bride's return and gotten back my love for me. My Emperor has reclaimed Emmonson and Dobb. Oh, we should celebrate, we must celebrate.
The melodies of the national anthem bombarded the people's hearing, and the Titan capital beneath the dome was overwhelmed with the joyful and festive atmospheres. However, Empress Alanis neither heard anything nor did she see anything. On the contrary, she was only staring directly into the eyes of her husband.
"I trust you for the promise you've made!"
"I truly believe that you'll be an excellent ruler!" Oscar directed his gaze away.
Subsequently, it was time for the crowning.
"Her Majesty held her husband's hand, and untied her messy hair, allowing it to move along the air; Prince O'Neil put his hand on his wife's arm, consoling the Empress, whose emotions seemed to be having an internal conflict, and seemed to have started being agitated at the same time."
As the Chief Historical Records Officer of the Titan's royalties, Baron Bernadot Ogeiro faithfully recorded every single event of the sixteenth day of the ninth month in the 800th year of the Church's Calendar year, including each and every piece of grass and wood, a dangerous silhouette, a smile, a face, and a cheer.
In the times of ancient holy Rome when the worshipping of extreme faiths had been popular in the world, Ogeiro was the surname of the God of Moon. The full moon was the front view of the God of Moon's face, which encompassed the hopes and reminders of the religious followers; the new moon was the back view of the God of Moon, recording all of the Titan's joys and sorrows, gatherings, and separations!
The royalties' Chief Historical Records Officer was the descendent of the God of Moon as well as the spokesperson of the new moon. Every single character and event written down by his quill was bound to be preserved in the historical documents.
Bernadot Ogeiro wrote next, "At eleven o'clock, Her Majesty and Prince O'Neil walked up the stone stairs of Dulin Scott Cathedral together, embraced by the empire's soldiers and the royalties. The diplomatic officers from the West had all been squeezed at the back of the crowd, and they could only stare at the scene with their eyes wide opened.
"His Highness loves her, her admirers blew her their kisses, this was definitely not appropriate, but the crowd was even crazier. The men seemed to be invoking a fight with the soldiers who were blocking them. On the other hand, women were crying. They were wiping away their tears with one hand and extended the other hand forward with great efforts, and seemed to wish to hold the Empress' waving arm tightly."
"The clock sounded once again! This was to usher Her Majesty to promptly take her seat! Her Majesty and her husband had finally entered the door. To be more precise, compared to the records of the previous Historical Records Officer, Alanis I Her Majesty, who bore the surname of Alfa, seemed to be in much lower spirits than the King who had been crowned at this very location. Nevertheless, she was excited, joyful, and said to her husband, 'Follow me closely, don't get lost!' The mighty figures in the main hall of the cathedral had been amused by each of these jokes, with Prince O'Neil laughing especially the loudest."
"Laughter and the stern atmosphere of the cathedral did not match at all, and this had greatly displeased the religious follower from the Vatican. The inner court's priest, who was speaking on behalf of His Grand Eminence the Pope ordered with a booming voice, 'silence', 'silence'. However, how would the Titan's elders pay attention to a mere low-ranking priest? Thus, they resumed their loud discussions around the Empress and her husband who were walking up to the altar. The old pope leaned weakly against the side of the altar, his lifeless eyes constantly fixed at a corner. If he was not bickering something to the priest by his side, I would have thought that he had fallen asleep."
Baron Bernadot Ogeiro signaled for his assistant. His speedy writing had worn out the materials of the quill in his hand. Soon enough, his assistant had immediately passed him a brand new quill. The spokesperson of the new moon applied some saliva onto the tip of the quill and continued writing.
"Her Majesty walked toward the altar… maybe because she was getting closer and closer to the God of Light, the boisterous crowd had gradually quieted down. Just when the Empress and her husband had kneeled on the massive red carpet on the altar, the cathedral had finally entered the state of absolute silence! On this day, it was my first time being able to hear the 'shasha' sounds produced by the quill on the paper."
"Before His Grand Eminence the Pope had spoken, Her Majesty the Empress slightly nodded at the palace artists to the right of the altar. According to the traditions, every ruler throughout the empire's history would leave a drawing to be offered to the Hamilton Palace's coronation drawings. This time, an Italian master had been given this honor. Master Bilista first bowed courteously at the Empress, gripped his painting brush tight and opened up the drawing cloth. Let us wish that… this half colleague of mine could produce an earth-shaking masterpiece!"
"The clock of the cathedral had stopped at one quarter past eleven, which was the beginning of time after the world had come into existence upon the Gods' creations. The coronation ceremony had begun. To be honest, even if I was standing only a few steps away from Her Majesty, I could not hear clearly what His Grand Eminence the Pope was mumbling about. I had only heard the priest saying, as the spokesperson, 'Have you proceeded according to the proper inheritance procedures and is about to be crowned?' Her Majesty then answered, 'Yes!' After a short while, His Grand Eminence the Pope might have really fallen asleep. Thus, the spokesperson could only continue inquiring, 'Have you commenced your duties according to the traditional vowing procedures of the coronation ceremony?' Her Majesty then responded, 'Yes!'"
"Next, the old His Grand Eminence the Pope took out the holy silver oak leaf from the golden Holy Grail, supported by the priests. Her Majesty the Empress opened her mouth slightly, and His Grand Eminence the Pope shakily presented her with the silver oak leaf. The old man had actually poked the Empress' face the first time, and had only succeeded in delivering the silver oak leaf into Her Majesty's mouth the second attempt. After that, it would naturally be His Imperial Highness the Prince's turn. I was not clear what title the pope wanted to bestow upon Prince O'Neil. I only saw that Prince O'Neil had obviously hesitated for a moment when he noticed the pair of skinny, ugly palms filled with age spots, and that he was holding the silver oak leaf in his mouth with a frown. Other than that, I had also seen Her Majesty the Empress secretly stabbing her husband's thigh, as if she was saying, 'don't swallow the thing.' Actually… I was guessing that Her Majesty the Empress just wanted to remind her husband to have a little more patience."
"There were some benefits to being a little more patient. As the mass ceremony was proceeding extremely slowly, the people were getting worried. Everyone present was worried that His Grand Eminence the Pope, who was stuttering, would suddenly suffer a stroke or a heart attack. But from what I see, the people were concerned that the coronation ceremony would not be able to continue, and not the life or death of Radriere VI."
"At eleven o'clock and twenty-nine minutes, when the aged His Grand Eminence the Pope sprinkled holy water onto the Empress' face and body, the Empress had finally lost her patience, and seemed to be a little furious as well. However, it seemed that the coronation had progressed until the end phase. The yawning husband of hers stood up first, snatched the Empress' crown from the hands of the servants, shoved the crown to the old man, and mumbled to the pope's servant, 'Hurry up! Ask him to hurry up!'"
"The pope had only regained his attention after he had received the crown. All of a sudden, the status seemed to be lit, and I could hear the people around me breathing frantically as if they had appeared in the middle of a herd of cows out of nowhere."
"Was this God or others? This time, I had really heard the voice of Radriere VI, and he said to the attendees, 'With the name of the creator of the universe and the mighty God of Light, I present to you God's will! Respecting the holy Titan Empire… with the surname of Alfa…Alanis I Her Majesty, loved by the Gods, guided by God's messages, crowned as the Emperor! Under the land of Titan, with the God of Light as the witness, you shall consider the monarch and all the citizens as your number one priority!'"
Baron Bernadot Ogeiro put his pen and paper down. Even his job was no excuse for him to miss the moment of historical significance. The pope took down the crown of the previous dynasty from the Empress' head and placed the new crown made of gold and decorated with diamonds and jewelry on the Titan ruler's head.
The pope made a posture of paying to God, as he finally said, "God bless Titan! God bless Her Majesty Empress Alanis I!"